Happy First Birthday!
by Kristen3
Summary: Mary is about to celebrate her daughter's first birthday, but she remembers all too well about her previous parties. Will this one FINALLY not be a disaster?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **I know I'm probably fudging things a bit w/ the timeline of when Mary & Rhoda stopped speaking vs. Mary's pregnancy, but it's not like we're told exact details. I think it could probably work. :)

Mary's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the calendar on her desk. How was it possible that Rose's first birthday was in almost two weeks? Ever since she'd had the baby, nothing in Mary's life had been the same. She'd left the newsroom, but she remained in TV, having switched to a news/entertainment show that allowed her a bit more flexibility. Sure, she missed the adrenaline of chasing a big story, but being a new mom more than made up for it.

Ever since she and Steven were married, Mary had wanted a family. All of her friends gushed about what a great mother she'd be. So far, she wasn't sure that was the case. Diapers and 2am feedings seemed like more than she could handle right now. To make matters worse, she and Rhoda had stopped speaking shortly after Rose was born. Who knew one comment about her friend's husband could cost Mary the best friend she'd ever had?

_There's no use reliving that_, Mary thought to herself. She'd been over it countless times before. She'd even picked up the phone a few times to call her, but she never knew what to say. She forced those thoughts aside. After all, none of this was Rose's fault, and she still deserved an amazing birthday party.

Mary decided she couldn't spend the entire day worrying about a birthday party or being stuck in the past. There was still a show to get on the air, after all. She somehow managed to put her other thoughts aside, telling herself she would deal with it when she got home. Luckily, there seemed to always be a crisis in the office, and she found it wasn't as hard as she'd expected to focus on what she needed to do.

But when she returned to the house she and Steven shared, everything came back in full force. As soon as she saw the calendar hanging in the kitchen, she remembered the birthday party she hadn't even started to plan.

Steven sat at the table, reading the paper, when he noticed the worried expression on his wife's face. "What's wrong?" He took her in his arms, hoping that would calm her.

"Rose's birthday is in two weeks. Her first." Mary tried to hide the panic in her voice, but didn't really succeed.

"Oh, is that all?" Steven gently kissed her forehead. "You'll throw her an amazing party. We'll take lots of pictures, so we can embarrass Rose when she's a teenager. It's our obligation as her parents." He laughed, hoping the joke would make Mary feel better.

Mary wanted to laugh, but she couldn't. "You don't understand. My parties usually don't go so well. Rhoda used to say they were disasters." The mention of her former neighbor hurt even worse than the worries over the party.

Steven gently touched her cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sure you're worrying over nothing. I know how hard you worked in the newsroom. You always give your all in anything you do, and this won't be an exception. You love Rose more than I thought possible, so I know this party will be wonderful."

Mary smiled weakly at his words. She knew he was trying to comfort her, and she loved him for it. But the memories were still as fresh as they'd been at the time. She took a deep breath, somehow managing to calm down a bit. "But you don't know what my parties were like. One time, I even had Johnny Carson come to one of my parties." She was about to tell him how it had happened, how a Congresswoman she'd interviewed had brought the talk show host to a benefit, but she realized it was beside the point. "Right before he got there, there was a blackout! We never even saw him!"

Steven saw that her eyes were quickly filling with tears. He had always loved how sensitive and caring she was. It was one of the first things he'd noticed when they met. He held her close, feeling her shaky breathing as she continued to sob. He wished he knew what to say to make her realize that those memories were all in the past. Rose's first birthday would be memorable – for the right reasons. He would make sure of it.


	2. Chapter 2

Mary sat at work the next day. Despite Steven's best efforts to comfort her, she still couldn't stop worrying. All she could think about were the many times her friends had pointed out how bad her parties were. Suddenly, she realized she didn't really care about the latest celebrity wedding piece she was working on for the show. She needed a distraction. If she couldn't call Rhoda, she knew there was someone else who had known her almost as long.

Just picking up phone made her feel better. She dialed a number she hadn't called in months. She didn't even care about the time difference. After a few rings, a soft voice answered. Mary smiled immediately. "Hi, Georgette. It's Mary."

"Oh, hi, Mary." Georgette was always happy to hear from Mary. "How's that adorable baby of yours?"

"Rose is fine," Mary replied. "Actually, that's sort of why I wanted to talk to you. Her first birthday is coming up, and I'm throwing a party."

"That's wonderful," Georgette said. "I just knew you would love being a mother, and I'm sure you're wonderful at it."

"Well, thank you. But I'm a little worried about the party. I mean, you know my track record." She laughed, knowing Georgette was probably reliving the same experiences.

"Mary, you know nothing like that's going to happen."

"That's what Steven keeps telling me, but all I can think of is, what if the power goes out, or someone gets sick, or -"

"That's not going to happen," Georgette said, more forcefully than usual.

"You don't know that for sure."

"I do know it for sure," Georgette countered. "And, to prove it, I'll come to the party myself."

"You would really do that? It's mostly going to be moms and kids."

"Absolutely. I may not have a baby anymore, but I'm still a mother."

"But what about Ted? I mean, airline tickets aren't cheap." She laughed, remembering how Ted would do almost anything to avoid spending money.

"Don't worry about Ted," Georgette said. "After everything you've done for us, this is the least I can do."

Mary felt herself sigh in relief. For the first time in days, she genuinely smiled. Georgette was truly a godsend.

Despite the worries she still couldn't quite shake, Mary spent the next few days making phone calls about the party. She would have it in her and Steven's backyard. As for guests, that part was simple. Rose went to daycare a few days a week when Mary was needed at the TV station. She found the addresses of the other parents whose children Rose saw each day. She even found adorable invitations to send out. Maybe this party would actually turn out to be a success after all.

As soon as she had that thought, however, she remembered another thing about all those other parties: Each time, she was so sure _this_ party wouldn't be a disaster. Yet, somehow, disaster inevitably struck.

Just like that, she was right back to square one.

She tried sharing her worries with Steven. He tried to reassure her, but Mary could tell he was getting frustrated. She couldn't blame him; he didn't really understand how bad her parties had been. But she could never forget.

Somehow, Mary got through the next few days. Work was a welcome distraction. It reminded her why she'd gone into TV in the first place. Soon, Georgette was due to arrive. Mary took the day off work; she knew she was much too excited to concentrate anyway.

Mary got Rose ready to go to the airport. As she dressed her, Mary shared her excitement. "You're going to meet one of my closest friends today. I've known Georgette even longer than I've known Daddy. She really is the sweetest person I know. Present company excepted." She couldn't resist kissing Rose's soft cheek.

They left much earlier than necessary. Mary had missed Georgette more than she'd realized. It had been too long since she'd spoken to someone who remembered her WJM days. They were memories that were never far from her thoughts.

Finally, Mary saw the plane would be arriving any minute now. Her heart began to race. She'd never expected her emotions to be like this, but it was one more sign of just how important her friends were.

A stream of passengers came off the plane. Mary watched intently. Suddenly, she saw a blonde woman walking toward her. They recognized each other in the same moment. Mary rushed toward her, Rose's stroller in her hands.

They hugged for a long moment. "Thank you for coming!"

Georgette gave her a slightly exasperated look. "Well, you've done so much for us. Besides, I couldn't pass up a chance to see this little angel." She smiled down at the stroller. "Oh, Mary, she's beautiful! Just like her mother."

Mary smiled, embarrassed. "Thanks."

For a moment, Georgette was quiet. "Mary, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Have you thought about calling Rhoda lately?"

"Oh, Georgette. If she wanted to talk to me, she could certainly pick up a phone."

"I remember another time when you weren't speaking and you were both miserable."

"Let's not have this discussion now, OK?" To show that the conversation was over, Mary walked toward the baggage claim. The last thing she wanted to do now was think about the friend she had lost. All that mattered was making sure Rose had a birthday as wonderful as she deserved.


	3. Chapter 3

When Mary drove them back to the house, Georgette wanted to talk to her again about Rhoda. She hated the thought of them not speaking. But she could tell Mary didn't want to hear another word. The drive was quiet, even a bit tense.

But that all changed when they arrived at Mary's house. Steven was there to greet them. "I remember meeting all of Mary's old friends at the wedding," he said. "It was nice to finally see these people she kept talking my ear off about!" He gave her a teasing glance.

Mary looked a bit embarrassed. Maybe she had gone overboard while they were dating, but she knew without a doubt that she wouldn't have been in the news business, much less married a politician, if it hadn't been for her start at WJM.

Georgette could see that Mary was uncomfortable, so she decided to change the subject. "I can't get over Rose. She's so beautiful! It takes me back to when Mary Lou was a baby." She smiled at the thought.

"That's right," Mary said. "Ted and Georgette named their daughter after Mr. Grant and me, because we helped with the delivery. She went into labor at one of my parties. Now do you see why I'm so nervous?!"

"Oh, Mary. I know that couldn't have been easy on you, but that was one of the best nights of my life," Georgette said. "Not all your parties have been bad. That's where Ted and I met, remember?"

All at once, the memory came back to Mary. Rhoda had planned to move back to New York, so Mary had given her a going-away party. Except, Rhoda had changed her mind at the last minute. But Mary had invited a co-worker of Rhoda's. From the very moment Georgette set eyes on WJM's anchorman, she'd been smitten. To everyone's surprise, he actually learned to care for someone other than himself. That party, at least, had a happy ending. The thought did give her a bit of hope that this party might be OK, but she knew she wouldn't really stop worrying until after it was over.

No matter what happened at the party, Mary was grateful for Georgette's visit. She was usually so busy with her work and the new baby, she never had time for friends. Having her here made Mary remember her years in Minneapolis, when she and Rhoda were neighbors. She almost wondered if Georgette was right, and she should just try calling her. But then Mary remembered how this fight started: Rhoda was angry over what Mary had said about her new husband. Why should she apologize?

Besides, it was almost time for the party. She couldn't think about calling Rhoda now. She and Steven went to work putting up decorations: a banner, some balloons, and a few streamers. Georgette repeatedly offered to lend a hand, but Mary insisted she was a guest.

By the time everything was perfect (after Mary had checked every detail a dozen times), the doorbell rang, and the other mothers arrived. When she heard the sound, Mary felt her heart rate speed up. Why couldn't she get past the thought that this was just going to be yet another disaster?

Still, she knew she had to be a good host, so she let the guests in. Everyone oohed and ah-ed over the decorations. Then, when Steven brought Rose out to make her grand entrance, they did it all over again. The birthday girl loved the attention.

Mary introduced Georgette to everyone. "This is one of my closest friends, Georgette Baxter. I've known her and her husband for years. Back when I first started in broadcasting,in fact. I just don't know what I would do without her!" She gave Georgette a one-armed hug, which was gratefully accepted. But the look on Georgette's face said that she knew that Rhoda should rightly be here receiving such praise.

Soon, it was time for cake. Of course, Rose was given the first slice. Predictably, she was soon wearing most of the icing. Mary was quick to take the baby inside to get her cleaned off. After all, this could very well lead to the disaster she so desperately wanted to avoid.

When mother and daughter returned to the party, everyone insisted it was time for presents to be opened. Mary took a seat, with Rose on her lap. Georgette took on the duty of handing presents to Mary. Rose was given several outfits, most of which were pink and frilly. Mary couldn't stop smiling. A few presents were toys, as if Rose didn't have enough. Still, Mary appreciated the thought.

There was one more present left. "This is from me and Ted."

"Oh, Georgette, you didn't have to!"

Her only response was an embarrassed shrug.

Mary unwrapped the paper, hardly knowing what to expect.

"This is sort of more for you than Rose," Georgette. "But Ted and I thought you'd like it."

Mary gasped when she finally got the paper off. It was a photo album, and when she looked inside, there were pictures from years ago. "How did you ever do this?!"

"Well, Ted called Lou and Murray, and we all went through the pictures was had. I know how busy you must be, with your job, and now the baby. I just thought it would help to remember some of the good times. And, maybe, when Rose is older, you can tell her all about them."

Steven was just barely able to take the baby from his wife before she stood to give Georgette a long, tight hug. As the two broke apart, Mary tried to speak, but she couldn't. The lump in her throat was much too large.

As Steven watched the two hug, even he felt a strange wave of emotion. It suddenly struck him that these friends Mary had so often spoken of had helped make her into the person she was today. A person he loved more than he could ever say.

Before he even knew what he was doing, he stood up. He asked for the crowd's attention. He could tell they were all wondering what he had to say. He had to admit, he was asking himself the same question. But as he looked at Mary, who was now drying her eyes on a napkin, the words came. "As a politician, I'm used to making speeches. My job literally depends on my ability to connect with the voters. But now, I hardly know what to say. All I know is that one day, a film crew came out to do a story on me during a campaign. It was the usual thing. But this was different. Because one of the producers caught my eye. I tried to ask her out, but she wasn't interested. That only made me more determined. I kept trying. Eventually, she agreed to go out with me. I think, even then, I knew I was in love. And now, all these years later, we have a child. Over the past year, I've only fallen more in love with both of them. Am I lucky, or what?" He held out his hand, and Mary walked over. Once again, she couldn't speak if she tried. She kissed him for a long moment. When she pulled back, she looked at him, remembering why she'd fallen in love with him. She knew without a doubt she would never again have to worry about a bad party.

**The End**


End file.
